Transportation device.



W. C, WALLIS TRANSPORTA'TION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29,1915.

555339;,414. htented July 3,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. C. WALLIS.

TRANSPORTATION DEVIQE. APPLICATIION EILEQJUHEZQ, x915 Patented July 3,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- OOMQ 40 0 0 0 0 00 "30 0 0 "xvi/bums msrrnn STATESPATENT- OFFICE.

WALTER C. WALLIS, OF HOPE, ARKANSAS.

'rnansr'onrn rion DEVICE.

- Application filed June 29,

'1 '0 a whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, WALTER G. WALLIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hope, in the county ofHempstcad and State of Arkansas haveinvented new and. useful Improvements in Transportation Devices, ofwhich thefollowing is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to transportation devices, the object in viewbeing to produce a rolling carrier for merchandisein general, which maybe operated either by animal or mechanical power, the container being inthe form of a hollow cylinder to which access maybe had for introducingand removing the merchandise, said container also operating as aneiiicient road roller, thereby not only preventinginjury to the roadsurface but in reality improving road surface in a manner similar to theordinary road roller' now in common use.

A further object f the invention is to provide novel driving mechanismfor the transportation device, whereby the latter may be driven byengine power, in a simple and direct manner without any possibility ofinjuring the road surface due to the presence of the driving mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide in connection with aplurality of hollow cylindrical containers, '2. frame in which saidcontainers are journaled, and.

# means for permitting one of the containers to turn relatively to anadjacent container in order that the device as a whole may be steeredeither when operated by animal or mechanical power.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as hereindescribed, illustrated and claimed. In the accompanying drawings:-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a transportation device embodying thepresent invention, the same being shown as equipped with an engine fordriving the same.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectiontaken about in line with one of the flexible driving elements.

' Fig. 4 is a side elevation omitting the engine and showing the deviceequipped with a draft animal appliance. I Fig. 5 is an end elevation ofone container showing the same reticulated and. provided with a door. i

Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing a larger specification of'I-ettersPatent.

more. additional containers ,3

with doors which is mounted description, sa d engine ian Patented Jul 3,191a.

.1915. Serial No. 37,007.

number of containers coupled together by a commonframe in which they arejour'naled.

In the preferred embodiment of this inf" vention, the transportationdevice comprises a plurality of hollow cylindrical containers l and 2and as indicated in Fig. 6,,one or may be provided in accordance withthe manufacturer and which the device is to be put in pract1ce'.' I

The cylindrical containers-1, are provided thereof or in one or bothends or heads thereof as indicated in the drawings. Each of thecontainers is also provided with end journals 5 which are received injournal boxes, 6 and 7 in the substantially paralle side bars 8 of atruck frame, the latter being shown as embodying in addition to the sidede r o h the particular use' to leither in the cylindrical wall bars 8,a cross member or platform 9 upon an engine of any preferre heir/ 2designat generally at A. I i

- In the preferred embodiment of the invention, each of 'the containers1 and 2 is provided adjacent to the center thereof with annulardepression 10 containing sprocket teeth 11 around which passes one of aplurality of sprocket chains 12, said chains passing around sprocketwheels -15 on the engine shaft 14. The depressions 1O enable the chainsto operate within the outer or peripheral surface of the cylindricalcontainers, thereby preventing any possibility of injuring the roadsurface over which the device is being drawn or propelled. In some casesit may be necessary to drive only one of the cylindrical containerswhile in other cases the driving means may extend to one or moreadditional containers as indicated in the drawings; a

the engine and the con- In additionto tainer driving means hereinabovedescribed, a draft appliance designated generally at B may be employed,the same being shown for convenience as comprising the draft pole ortongue 15 and the attaching bars 16 which are connected hereinabovereferred to. In order to permit the device to be readily steered orturned, thejboxes 6 are shown as mounted for fore andaft' movement inslots or guide ways 17 in the side bars 8 of the frame so that in viewof the fact that the bars the draft mechanism are attached to. saidboxes 6, the forward container will be turned,

at an angle in accordance with the direction followed by the draftanimal or animals, the

depression 10 in the forward container preventing the sprocket chainfrom jumplng oil the teeth engaged thereby. It will be understood thatlnstead of sprocket wheels "and,

chains, pulleys and belts or gears may be employed for driving thedevice.

ance than an ordinary wagon or truck carrying the same load for thereason that the cylindrical containers have a broad extended surface andcannot sink into the road surface as in the case of ordinary truckwheels. Furthermore, the cylindrical containers act as road rollers andtend to improve rather than injure the road surface over which they ass.v p Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A transportationdevice comprising a pair of hollow cylindrical containers arranged onein advance of the other and having their axes normally'parallel, a framein which said containers are journaled, an engine mounted on said frame,driving means connecting said engine with one' of said containers, theframe comprising substantially horizontal side bars formed withlongitudinal slots, journal boxes slidable in said slots, and containerend journals working in said boxes, whereby the axes of the containersmay be thrown out of parallel relation to each other for steeringpurposes.

2. A transportation device comprising a pair of hollow cylindricalcontalners arranged one in advance of the other and ha ving their axesnormally parallel. a frame in which said containers ar ournaled, anengine mounted on said frame driving means connecting said engine withone of said containers, the frame comprising substantially horizontalside bars formed with longitudinal slots, journal boxes slidable in'saidslots, container end journals working in said boxes, whereby the axes ofthe'con tainers may be thrown out of parallel relation to each other forsteering purposes, and yieldable means in front and rear of said journalboxes for centering the same.

In testimony whereof 1 aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- WALTER C. VVALLT- 'Witnesscs NEAL H. lVALLIs, LEX C. HnLMs.

